2015 4×10 Challenge

I decided to start an exercise challenge at the beginning of 2015. I run every day and I wanted to come up with something to help keep me focused on my supplemental core workouts. So I decided to try and do at least 10 reps of 4 different exercises every day. Most days I would do more than this, but 4×10 would be the minimum.

I ended up doing a 4×10 workout for all but 42 days in 2015 or a miss every 9 days or so. I’m a little disappointed with this number as I had only missed 6 days through May. Doing the math, that means I missed 36 days over the last 7 months. Yikes. What happened you may ask? Vacations and 100 milers happened. 15 days were missed during vacations and 8 more came immediately after Oil Creek when I decided my body and mind just needed some extended R&R.

I’m fine with the occasional miss. I’m even OK with missing 42 days this year. I already have one borderline obsessive compulsive exercise habit (see my Running Streak) and I definitely don’t need a second. There are times when I need the break so I can’t see myself starting a 4×10 streak that will go on indefinitely. But I think I can do better than 42 misses in a year and still stay balanced. Eliminating the vacation misses will get me under 30 days so that’s going to be my 2016 target.

I had toyed with either adding an exercise (5×10) or adding a rep (4×11), however the goal is to do a small, modest base level of exercise each day. And knowing myself, if I start adding to this then in a couple years I’ll be doing 6×15 or 8×20 each day. I want to keep the minimum workout in the 5 minute range each day so that it’s easily doable. Especially as this will always be on top of my 10-15 minute minimum run.